Chimera
by liscarthan-rae
Summary: A delve into the past of Dawn. Not The key, Dawn herself prior to creation.
1. Divine Hate

Prologue  
  
This is simply an idea I had before I went to sleep last night. That's the best time for ideas. But I doubt I can reconstruct it as well as I had it in my mind last night, but I'll try. It's basically a new plot for Buffy. As everyone is aware, Joss Wheedon is a ledged at making his episodes, or seasons for that fact fit together so well and seamlessly. I tried to give this story line the same effect he has. Hope you like it, if you do, I'll start constructing the actual episodes one at a time.  
  
- 1 -  
  
The mid 1950's saw a great demise to one certain boy. A boy called Blake. A demise to his life as he knew it. His life was always so normal, and standard. Two loving parents, and a little sister, of whom he loved more than anything, and the normal life of a kid where he'd go to school, and returned home to a cup of juice from a loving mother. It was all really Brady bunch in this household. He was a normal 16 year old who never liked to put a foot out of line with his parents, or his friends for that matter. He liked to be liked, and he was liked, for his docile outlook of life. He was a gentle boy, with no thought of harm. To add to his normality, he was another person oblivious to the real world. Totally unaware of what is so close to him and his family. But without this ignorance, they couldn't be the family that they were. But as usual, these things can't be left unscathed. It's the way of the world. To the boy, vampires were creatures of evil that only existed in movies and the minds of the morbid. He couldn't handle the truth. He came across a few of these creatures in an odd circumstance. They were feeding, in an alleyway when he came across them. For someone with a heart of gold to whiteness a sight such as this, is heart wrenching. To see carnage like this is mind altering. That is for the ignorant. He froze, watched upon them while they drank, deeper they bit, with blood dripping from every which way. He was frozen with fear, he couldn't do a thing. But he managed to put himself off balance slightly putting him in a position allowing him to move, and then run. But something stopped him. A wail, a weak gentle moan coming from the victim, he knew that voice oh too well. It was his mother. He turned and ran towards them. He threw his satchel at them, yelling "stop, stop" They threw her to the ground and made after him. God knows how he got away, but he did.  
  
- 2 -  
  
He ran straight home to check his family. He ran into his sister's room, and then into his parent's room. He started yelling to his father the happenings of that night. His father instantly asked what books he had been reading, or what storied he'd been told, but he refused to be patronized. But all went silent when one of the windows broke. The vampires who he'd met before broke in and the father, being the defensive proud father threw all he had at them. But they threw him away and went for the little girl. They had possession of her and were about to run, when the father shot the one with her, and she dropped to the ground and the father dived in-between her and the vampires. He told them to run. After hesitation, they did. On the way, his sister said to him. "What was wrong with the cleaners?" Blake stopped and looked at her. "What are you talking about?" He asked her. "They were the cleaners. They came and said that dad ordered a cleaner and they came in but left straight away. Then you came home." "Why didn't you get dad?" "I did, but they left before dad got to the front door" Blake didn't have time to discuss things with his sister, all he worried about was getting his sister to a safe retreat.  
  
- 3 - His first reaction was to run to his grandmothers. He always ran to her when he needed help that his parents couldn't provide. He got there to find the door wide open. They went in and found his grandmother sleeping on her chair. He ran up to her yelling "wake up". She wouldn't wake up. He pulled her blanket off her to reveal a sight he had never seen. She had been disembowelled and found his fathers head in the place. "Get back" he yelled to his sister. Overwhelmed with fear, anger, confusion, he had no idea what to think, what to do, he couldn't breathe, talk, react. He was just a boy. All of a sudden the vampires broke through the door of her bedroom and picked up his sister by the head. Something he had never felt before came rushing through him like a fire. The feeling of reprisal in which felt so clear to him. He screamed to them, and ran behind his grandmother's chair. The vampires followed until he arose from behind it with a shotgun. His grandmother always kept it at hand for intruders, obviously useless. The first vampire flew at him he ducked and he hit the wall and Blake beat him in the head, and putting the barrel in his mouth, completely blowing his head to pieces. Looking up to the other vampire, tears streaming down his face, he ran at the vampire. The vampire dropped his sister and kicked Blake in the head. He flew against the wall almost knocking him unconscious. The vampire hit him multiple times until he stopped. Looked him in the eye and backed off. His sister was crouched in the corner. She would have to almost scrape past them to run away. He walked over to her, and grabbed her by the hair. She screamed and cried as he slapped her in the side of the face. Blake tried to get up, but fell down. He tried again, and managing to rise to his feet, was hit straight down again by the vampire. "You think you can stop us? Are you so self-riotous that you can't see the reality? You dead, she's dead. You're all fucking dead". He bit her neck softly at first just breaking the skin and letting the blood drip slowly to the ground. He smiled at Blake. Tormenting him and taking so much pleasure in doing it. Blake kept trying to get up, but couldn't. The vampire was unharmed, and Blake was wrecked. He continued to tease the girl. She had no strength left from her kicking and screaming and the fact that she was loosing blood. The vampire gave Blake one last look of pleasure and proceeded on having his last drink from the girl. Blake got up, and literally fell on the vampire causing him to drop his sister, he fell straight to the ground next to the vampire, and to his convenience, he fell straight on the gun. Rising it to the vampire he pulled the trigger, but the vampire grabbed his sister and shielded himself with her. Blake blew his sister and the vampire against the wall; the vampire was hit, but only slightly. His sister's upper body and face was completely dismembered. That was the last straw. You could hear the snap from Blake. You could see the alteration in his entire being. He shot the vampire in the guts; he didn't want to kill him straight away. The vampire got up to have Blake turn the gun around and used it like a baseball bat on his head. The vampire fell to the ground. "Self-riotous? Fuck you! You dead! You nothing!" He repeated beating the vampire to a bloody pulp. Blake didn't stop. He couldn't. He had to let it out.  
  
- 4 -  
  
There was basically nothing left of the vampire once he had finished with him, he completely dismembered his neck, the head just rolled off itself, and at that, the vampire dusted. Blake couldn't understand what just happened. How could something like that be physically possible? He went back to where the other vampire was, and he was partially dusted. His head was blown off, so that area was dust, but the rest of his body still had some form. He looked at his sister's body for a while. His mind was gone. His heart was hollow. His future was clear. He, for some reason, knew what just happened, and knew what they were. Call it the intuitive nature of the human being. His life as he knew it, was gone. So was Blake, the Blake that everyone loved. The Blake that everyone called up to go to the lake, the Blake that His mother tucked in at night. He was no longer a human being, was from that point, a human living. He was aware of reality, and was set on fixing it. His mother always taught him that he could do anything he wanted. He could achieve anything that he dreamed he could achieve. The difference between dreams and reality is the short time in between. Blake dreamed the demise of evil. He dreamed to send all that's unholy into hell. It was now his life, his passion, it was who he was. His passion for this spread throughout his entire being, from head, to toe, to heart. Nothing could stand in his way.  
  
- 5 -  
  
The next two years saw a great inversion in the war of good and evil in this side of Australia. His hate and anger for the kind whom he loathes grew stronger with every day. Some even believed that the powers that be saw fit to enrol a male to the status of slayer. But these were only rumours. But never the less, he was the side of good that evil feared. On his 18th birthday, he thought fit to celebrate it with a visit to the local bar. He payed this bar many visits before, but this time, it's legal. He saw someone at the bar. A girl, she looked far too young to be in a bar. He walked up to her and sat next to her. "15? 16? You can't be 18!". She looked him dead in the eyes. An odd feeling rushed through him. "14 actually" She stood up and walked towards the door. He couldn't take his eyes off her, so beautiful, sweet and innocent. He followed her. A man approached her when they both left the bar. He grabbed her, but Blake didn't do anything, she grabbed the guy's arm and threw him onto the road, it would have been at least five meters to the road. The guy got up to have a truck drive clear over him. Blake just watched her; she knew he was following her, so she toyed with him a bit. She knew exactly who he was. She ran into an alleyway to have him follow her, but he found an empty alley. He turned to find her standing behind at the entrance. There was something about her that bewildered him. He felt something strong towards her. Something he couldn't explain, nor justify. She searched him long and hard while he tried to do the same, he approached her to have her hold her hand up. He stopped instantly. "Have you ever wondered what it's like?" She asked. "You've lost me" She looked at him a bit lightly now. "What it's like on the other side." "There is only one side. Everything else is nothing" "You poor boy. So lost, so weak, you can never begin to comprehend the life you lead. You can never begin to imagine the life your passing up" "Nah, you can't be?!" He realised now, she was one of them. He couldn't see before cause she had strange power over him. She could see inside him. He stood there. Normally this situation would be completely one sided and swift, but he stood there. What was he thinking? Was this for real? Was this creature of beauty really one of them? What was he thinking? She approached him, but he resisted. He backed away. She approached him again. He hit her sending her against the brick wall. This was the first time in his life that he fought with remorse. His nature got the better of him at last. "I don't want to fight you" She said. He couldn't conceive what was happening. She approached him again. He didn't move. For some reason, he didn't resist her, he didn't want to. She grabbed his arms and pinned them against the wall. The next thing he knew, everything was fading. He couldn't feel his hands, he couldn't feel his legs, and the world was spinning and falling further and further out of reach. He fell into a deep unconsciousness. The next turn of events would see a great change in the mythology of life as the world knew it.  
  
- 6 -  
  
Everything was dark, and silent. He felt a rush of pain spread throughout his entire being. He felt power spread from head to foot, but where was he. He struggled and kicked but his legs were pinned. He tasted dirt. He slowly managed to move his arms and find his way out. He broke free to find a fresh patch of dirt with a tombstone looking down upon it. Blake Antrearle 16/10/1940 - 16/10/1958 Beloved Brother and son. Thoughts, feelings, power all rushed through him like fire. He had become everything he ever lived against. "Lovely, isn't it?" "What have you done to me?" "I've given you life, you'll see"  
  
- 7 -  
  
The thing is that Blake was too far immersed in what he believed in that nothing could ever tun him around. The Vampire takes your body and soul, but your mind is still intact. You just don't think the same. You have no remorse, no conscience, and no respect for life. Or that's the way it's always been. It's the way it's always been with vampires and humans. Humans are feeble, easily manipulated by vampires. Why do you think they chose Humans for their soul victims? They're easy. But Blake was different. His passion infected his body and mind too deeply for the demon to distinguish. He may have the body of a vampire, but his passion remained. His mind was far too strong to be overruled. The world is now witness to the ultimate paradox. The greatest thing since the slayer. The world will never be the same again. Then again, neither will Blake.  
  
- 8 -  
  
His life from then would never be the same. He lost track of his sire after he ran that night he rose. The world saw a greater demise in evil, a such demise that the world could never have predicted. Now even more feared, he came across a warlock called Areathea'us. He was intrigued with Blake. He couldn't believe the idea of a vampire with an agenda such as his. He informed Blake of a certain place, a place so close to hell. A place so close that it's separated by an unstable barrier protected by a slayer. The hellmouth. He had to explore this region of the world. The idea of a demon playground fuelled him. He took the next boat to Sunnydale California. Upon his arrival, he instantly came across a vampire. He killed him, then another approached him, Blake was in heaven. He took him out, when a group of close to ten came at him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" "Blake!" "What makes you believe you can challenge us?" "Oh, I didn't challenge you, I believe I was the one who was challenged, now are we gonna talk?" "What the hell are you on? Ya think you're the slayer or something boy?" "The slayer? Nah, I'm death itself, care to prove me right?" They all rushed at him and he took four without them even realising it. They stood back and looked at each other, and went at him again. He took four more. There were two left. One behind, one in front. The one behind came at him, Blake spun around punching his head clear off. At that, he changed into his demon form and looked at the final guy. "What are you doing? Your one of us!" "I'm nothing like you" and Blake ran at the guy kicking his head off. "So, this is Sunnydale! Let's pay hell a little visit"  
  
- 9 -  
  
Blake walked around a bit feeling hungry; he looked around a bit along the back alleyways. He may possess the passion he used to, but he is still a vampire. He eats like a vampire. He did loose some remorse, god, he'd have to, to survive. He found a bar around the back of some old building and went in. "You don't have blood do ya?" He asked the barman "What, do you think I'm nuts? Of course I do, that's 90% of the business around here. With the slayer around, the vamps are scared of even trying to have a decent meal" "I want all ya got" "I can't do that, what about everyone else?" "Don't try me, give me the damn blood" "Fine, as long as you pay for it" "Whatever" He sat there for a while watching the demons come and go as they wish, this disgusted him so much it killed him inside. To think that there was a slayer in town and this was going on. His hometown was the safest in the world, for humans that was, there were no demons of any kind there. He got up with his store of blood and left. He thought he'd give the slayer a visit.  
  
  
  
- 10 -  
  
His travels were brief once more as a strange demon stopped him. Blake looked him in the eye and kept on going, then all of a sudden someone else came into the picture. He looked human from where he stood, he presumed so cause of the fact that he was fighting the demon. The demon was far too much for the human. He threw him across the road and Blake approached. The human watched in awe as Blake took the demon and killed him in an instant. Blake turned to see the human, but straight away, he found no human. "William!"  
  
  
  
- 11 -  
  
You see Spike travelled a lot when Dru left him. He went to Brazil to try and patch things with her, but she refused to consort with him. So he left and went east to South Africa, and continued east to Australia where he came across Blake. Spike knew rumours of him, so he had to see for real. He did indeed see for real, and he came extremely close to seeing his last sights of this world. He still can't believe he managed to escape Blake, but he just forgot about him.  
  
- 12-  
  
Spike looked in fear as Blake looked at him and approached. There was a great distance between them, but spike had nowhere to go. Suddenly a girl with a terribly large sword came upon Blake and tried to stop him, but he pushed her away. She ran back for another try. "I don't think you should try me today, I've had a very bad day!" The girl told Blake. "Buffy run away" Spike yelled from afar. But she refused, she swung the sword many times at Blake, but she couldn't hit him. Blake grabbed the sword by the blade and proceeded towards Spike. Buffy tried again to stop Blake and this time she gave it her all. He was too fast and he turned the sword around hit her head with the handle sending her flying through the air. He quickly realised, and he turned around to observe the girl. "The slayer?" he said to Spike. "You of all people". But that was it. He continued towards Spike, but someone else tried to stop him. He got to spike to have a girl, smaller than the last one to start pounding on his back yelling not to kill him. "Dawn NO!!!! Run away!" Spike screamed to her. Blake knew she was just a girl and hit her softly sending her along the ground. Blake posed and started to begin the motions, but the girl, Dawn, came back to try and stop Blake as impossible as it may seem. Being extremely annoyed with these people, he knocked her away and she was halted by a large pole and he spun around and swung the sword at her and caught a glimpse of her and stopped the sword at her neck. He paused, and with wide eyes, he stared into hers. Nothing in his lifetime could have ever prepared him for this moment. "Allyah?" "Umm, no, I'm Dawn" She said cautiously to the guy who just took out the slayer and now has a large sword at her neck. "It's you, what is this? What's going on, you're with a slayer, your with William?" He paused for a moment and looked hard into her eyes. He could feel her without even touching her, he could feel her heat from fear, he could feel her heart pounding and stepped back and dropped the sword and backed away slowly. "Your.human" "Umm, yeah" he looked at her with confusion, fear, he had no idea what to think. He knew her anywhere.  
  
- 13 -  
  
The strange thing that little people recognize is, how did the monks performed the formation ritual that hid the key, from scratch. How could they give such perfect form in such little time? It's not an easy thing to do by anyone of any experience. So you see, the monks cheated. They already had the form; they only inhibited it with the energy of the key transforming the key's energy into humanity. Now the form you ask? The little pre-prepared package? Simple. It was just another being. But the strange thing, with this ritual, they only need a physical form to use, not necessarily a human form. Blake's sire, known as Allyah, wasn't in the good books with the Monks, she heard about the monks and thought she'd try and have some fun with them, but she was foolish, they were powerful and she was fast their victim. They took her hostage, and decided, two birds, one stone; they can rid the world of her completely and use her form. This spell in mention doesn't distinguish vampire from human, it merely inhibits the body with humanity, and all that's left is perfect humanity. Conveniently enough in a perfect vessel.  
  
  
  
- 14 -  
  
He looked around at the three. No idea what to think, no idea what to do or say. "What the hell is this place?" Blake asked. He didn't understand what was going on. How could she be human? Buffy approached Blake not knowing what to expect. She walked up to him and confronted him. He didn't do a thing; he couldn't take his eyes off Dawn. Buffy asked him. "Who are you?" "Blake" he returned. And he looked at Buffy. He stared at her and took a step back. Buffy was not expecting that. It was then when Dawn looked back into Blake's eyes. She could see what he was feeling, and she approached him. Buffy had left him and attended to Spike. She turned to see Dawn right in front of Blake. "Dawn get back" Buffy yelled. But she wasn't moving. She looked into his eyes, and seeing he was now harmless towards them, she touched his face. A tear dropped down his face and he turned and ran. Dawn watched as he fled and Buffy quickly went up to Dawn. "What did you do?" Buffy asked Dawn. "Nothing. He called me Allyah. Who's Allyah?" "I don't know" Buffy told Dawn. "Who was that" Dawn continued. "Blake" Buffy answered. "Who's Blake?" "I don't know". They both looked at Spike. "What?" Spike asked. So he told them all he knew about Blake on their way back to the magic shop. He told them what Blake was, and is close to becoming the most powerful vampire this world has ever seen, and Spike had to have a taste of the power that the underworld feared. But things didn't turn out the way he'd hoped.  
  
- 15 -  
  
Blake was more confused than he had ever been. Everything in his life was normally so clear, but for the first time in his life, he doesn't know what's happening. He can't comprehend what he has just seen. The girl who gave him a new lease on life, who gave him the gift of reality and who had given the world the greatest gift it has ever received was right there in front of him after forty four years. All this time he thought she'd run away from him, or worse, killed. But the thought in the back of his mind, he thought that she realized what she had created and feared him, and fled. But regardless of what she was, she was the closest thing in his life to family. Everyone he'd ever known was dead, then she sired him and became closer to him than anyone could ever be, and now she, after all this time has appeared out of nowhere. But how could she be human? This is a question he couldn't' answer himself. He had to see her. He had to find her.  
  
- 16 -  
  
He didn't search the town long, he was walking down an alleyway when he came across Spike but he wouldn't let him know he was there. He watched Spike go inside and once he was out of sight, he crept to the front of the shop where he could get a good view of the insides. He looked up to read 'Magic Shop'. Who are these people he wondered. He didn't want to wait any longer so he entered the shop. "This store is closed" Came a voice from a place out of sight. It was an English voice. Buffy looked up to find Blake standing at the threshold. "Blake right?" Buffy asked. He didn't say anything. He just looked around prudently expecting to find 'her'. Giles came out to find him standing at the door. "Can I help you?" Blake didn't respond. "You do speak English?" Giles asked. "Giles it's alright" Buffy said. "Who's this" Xander asked Buffy discreetly. "Yes, Blake, I think we all want to know the same thing." He approached cautiously still expecting to find Dawn. "She's not here" Buffy said. "Who's not? Tara?" Xander asked. "Dawn" Buffy said with her eyes still on Blake's. "Is she expected?" Blake asked. "Soon" Buffy told him. "So, I think you owe us an explanation." "How on earth do I owe you anything?" Blake queried. "Well you almost killed spike, you really hurt me, and you came extremely close to killing Dawn. I think the least you owe us is an explanation." "What? This is the guy who you're talking about?" Willow said "I expected someone a bit, well, bigger. He's a kid. Your what. 17, 18?" "He's a vampire willow" Buffy told Willow. "oh..OH!" Willow said aloud. "So why did he almost kill you three and not properly kill, cause he is, like a vampire." Xander asked. "I don't' know, How bout you fill that in now Blake?" "I'm not what you think" Blake said. "But you are a vampire?" Buffy asked. "Yeah, but not all over. I was made, but not completely. The demon couldn't take over my mind and will. The demon was too weak." "So you have your soul?" Giles asked him. "Old man, so ignorant. And old-fashioned must I say. The term soul describes our humanity. Vampires are strong, the vampire mind itself is weak. But then again, more so are humans, that's why your prime victims for them. It couldn't take much of mine, but I did loose some. I'm a vampire, what do you expect." "So you do good?" Willow asked. "yeah" Spike said. They all focused on Spike. "Like a big scale Angel aren't ya!?" "What about you? Of all people, you're with people" Blake asked spike. "Yeah well things have changed" Spike returned. "I see" Blake said. "Where is she" Blake asked Buffy. "She's out for a little" She told him. "Any time soon?" "She's due back now" Buffy said as she got up and took Giles into the office to talk things over with him about the current situation. Blake stood there all sombre avoiding conversation. Dawn and Tara returned while Buffy and Giles were in the office. Blake turned to see her. And Dawn immediately stopped and looked at him. "Who's Allyah?" Dawn asked Blake. While she started towards him and Blake started towards her as well. When they got to each other, he looked hard into her eyes but saw nothing but Allyah. He couldn't understand it. "Why do you think I'm Allyah?" Dawn asked him. "Cause you are" he hesitated. "Are you fourteen?" Blake asked her "I'm fifteen" Dawn answered. Blake leaned close towards her and brushed her hair away from her neck. This revealed two scars. Puncturous like scars. "What are they?" Blake asked her. "Oh Buffy did that when I was ten. I thought vampires were cool so Buffy poked me with kitchen prongs to show me...what it...was like...Buffy??" Blake stood supported by his back foot ready to back up, looked at her much more strongly now, the proof was building. "Was Allyah a vampire?" Dawn asked Blake. "Yes" He returned. Dawn ran straight to the mirror to observe the marks. "What the hells' going on?" Dawn yelled to everyone. No one really thought twice about those marks, they all forgot about the built past fact and didn't care. Buffy glanced at Giles with wide eyes. At that, Giles made for his office and delved into his stash of information accumulated from when Glory was threatening them. "Buffy, can you come in here?" He called from his office. "What?" Buffy asked. " I think Blake may be right." Giles told her. "How?" "Well as far as I have gathered, the Monks that performed the ritual didn't have a whole lot of time. There is reference here to a ritual that borrows a being's body. The Monks could have used this process to drastically reduce the overall time to hide the key." "So.who's Allyah then?" Buffy asked. "I don't know Buffy. I guess we'll have to ask Blake."  
  
- 17 -  
  
Buffy and Giles returned to the group after no more than ten minutes and Giles asked to have Blake accompany him into the back room. He closed the door. "How well do you know this girl" "Allyah?" Giles nodded. My business, but I assure you, I know that's her." "Are you aware of what Dawn is?" "Umm, don't tell me, Vampire?" "What?! God no, what are you thinking," Giles said aloud "I didn't think I sensed it" Blake explained. "There was a god, of whom we had troubles with several months ago, who was in a bad way to say the least. Her primary goal was to unleash hell on earth. To do this, she needed this special source of energy. The key." "I've heard of that. All mystical, Myth" "No, far from it, it's closer than you think. There were a group of monks who were soul protectors of the key. When they felt the key was threatened, the transformed the key and sent it to Buffy" "So where is it, on the key hook or something?" "They transformed the key, gave it human form, and sent it to Buffy in the form of a sister." "So what you saying, is that can't be Allyah?" "On the contrary, what I have managed to gather about the ritual that the monks performed, was that it was undertaken in great haste. To give form is a long and complex process that I doubt that they could have done in the time that they had. I think they cheated." "Cheated? They looked at the answers or what?" "No, they may have in fact borrowed a form." "Borrowed? How can they borrow, that is Allyah isn't it!" "It's a possibility that they may have used your Allyah" "How? she wasn't human" "What I presume is that because she's a human infected with the demon, they could still us her for her body. The vampire in her was just, simply killed" "So That's the human Allyah?" "No, I'm afraid not, but don't jump to conclusions, What I'm saying is only a guess. It's not certain. But what I do know is that if that was Allyah, it would only be her body, the Monks would have built her humanity and soul, then they could mould her mind and psychological past." "oh, but why was this said in here? why is this so secretive?" "I don't want the others to find out this any time soon" "Whatever" They walked out of the room into the shop with Blake behind. All watched as they came out and sat down at the round table. Blake got straight up and left. He couldn't bear to be in the same room as her with the knowledge he had. To know that she has the body of the closest person in his life, but to know that it wasn't, and never will be her. But what was he so worried about. He never really knew her. He never really got to know who she was, or even spent much time with her. But there was an enormous connection that is deeper than consciousness. He needed a bit of action to relieve some stress and to get a bit off his mind. So he hunted.  
  
- 18 -  
  
Giles addressed the others and proceeded. "I know all you have tried to find more on Dawn's past, and I think I have the missing link. I think, I think I know more about your past." He said looking at Dawn. "How long have you known this" Buffy asked "Not long" He returned. So he proceeded on telling them what he knew about the ritual and how it may involve this, Allyah. It was all information that made sense to them. "And Blake knew Allyah?" Dawn asked Giles. "I believe he did" "But Blake said something about her being a vampire" "Yes, she was, and that has no affect on you, or who you are, it's just the human body of Allyah that affects you." "Alright" Dawn accepted. Blake returned some time later. He couldn't stay away any longer. As soon as he walked in the door, they all stared at him with inquisitive eyes. Dawn jumped and ran to him. "You knew Allyah" Blake instantly turned and eyed Giles. "I had to tell them, They deserve to know." He slowly looked away from him, Giles felt very uneasy about that look. "You know?" Blake asked Dawn "Everything" She returned. "Can you come with me?" He asked her "Where?" Buffy called to him "For a walk" He said to her in a light voice as to say, what else? "ok" Dawn answered. "Dawn I don't want you to leave without one of us" Buffy told her. "No, it's alright, I have to know what he knows, I'll be fine" They both left the store. They started to walk some distance until Dawn started. "How did you know this girl?" "She was close" "How close?" "Close" "Please tell me, I have to know this. What was your relationship with her? Friend? Sister? Girlfriend?" Blake gave a laugh. Not a loud laugh, just a low quiet chuckle that sent chills down Dawns spine. He looked her straight in the eye and gave her a look that she could not comprehend. "Sire!" "What? You sired her?" He continued to look at her, but his looked began to ease up, lighten, until Dawn finished. "She sired you, Allyah made you" He kept looking at her with searching looks. "Man, so this is pretty weird for you ay?" Dawn asked him "You could say that" Blake returned "But you're a vampire right? Why are you so nice?" "What, nice?" Blake said confused "You know what I mean, why aren't you like the others, you do have a soul right, I know a bit about that sort of thing" "What thing?" "Oh, vampire's with souls. Buffy dated one, You haven't heard of Angel?" "Angel...Angel.." he gave another chuckle. "The foot soldier of the powers. I've heard of him, yes. Didn't know he knew the slayer. Well I'll be." "Yeah, well he began his good life here, in Sunnydale. But were loosing track here! About me, or Allyah. Do you have a soul?" "Like I told the old man" "What old man? You mean Giles?" "Yeah, the term soul is just a broad term to describe humanity. No demon could take all mine. They're too weak minded. But he did take some, but not all." "But your still a vampire right?" "I am" "So, what about weaknesses, same as normal?" "Not really, I die the same as a vampire, but I don't live the same. The sun is like a ray of fire, to normal vampires; normal being a human completely infected by the demon, not me. I can stand the sun, but not longer that five or so minutes on a hot day." "Are you serious, I so have to rub that in Spikes face, haha" He looked hard into her eyes. "You have her eyes" "I do? Well if I have her body, I think I'd have her eyes." "No Monk can re-create eyes like that." Blake complimented. Dawn smiled at him. "I can still sense her in you. I don't know why, weather it's the fact that I can't let go, or something. But I still sense her. I don't think the monks succeeded." "In what" "Rebuilding your humanity. You see, they had the form of Allyah, and they filled her wi." Blake tried to say. "It's alright, Giles has already filled me in of the entire thing" Dawn interrupted. "But they cheated further more. The monks were foolish, they stuffed up" "How did they stuff me up?" "The key, it's a powerful thing. Its power is absolute, and being just monks, they couldn't do it themselves, so they harnessed it's power and used to rid your body of the demon." Don't you mean her body?" "No, I don't. They didn't have time to manifest humanity, so once they filtered the demon from you they must have just wiped clean your mind and consciousness, and sent you to the slayer." "So I am Allyah" "I'm only going by my heart here, But I do know her more than anyone could possibly know. Her look, her scent, her voice, her eyes, her hair" He said as he stroked her hair, which Dawn seemed to find comforting. "I know her inside out, I know...everything about you." He paused as he said that, looking at her body over and over. "What?" Dawn said hesitantly. At that he quickly pulled out a knife and swung it violently at her cutting her arm. "Arg, owww," With his other hand he quickly wiped the run off blood with his finger. "Wait,. no oww,. was that meant to hurt?" Dawn asked. He stood there looking at the blood on his finger. "I know everything" He said and licked the blood off his finger. Dawn normally would be disgusted at a sight like this, but in fact, inside, she looked upon him with sanction. She wanted to know what he was about to find. He looked at her with wide eyes. She could see, what more she could feel his emotion pouring from his eyes into her. "What?" He didn't say a thing. "I'm not her am I?" He couldn't say anything, overwhelmed, he managed to let out a quiet voice. "You are"  
  
- 19 -  
  
Dawn let out a little surprised cry. "But...Nah...Buffy said my blood was like her's" "What, why would she say that?" Blake asked. "I don't know, but are you sure I'm her?" "How can I be wrong, the last thing I ever tasted as a human was her blood. I don't forget" "Well You better take that up with Buffy. All I care about is that I'm finally finding out about who I am. I knew I was more than a product of little robe boys." He couldn't take his eyes off hers. He always knew he'd find her again, but never under these circumstances. They walked back to the shop slowly. Blake wanted as much alone time with her as possible. They returned to have Buffy jump up and yell. "What the hell happened to you?" "We just went for a walk" "Your arm!" "oh" She looked at Blake and said "I walked into a pole, I was too busy listing to Blake I wasn't looking where I was going" Buffy looked askance at Blake. She didn't like him. Blake walked towards the back room. "Old man" "Giles!" Giles corrected. "Come with me" They went alone into the back room. "I am not old, I'm older than you, but I am far from." "It's her" Blake interrupted. "What? How can you be sure?" "It's her, I just know. The monks screwed up, they didn't have time to complete the ritual, and they sent Allyah to Buffy with a new consciousness." "Are you sh..." "It's her!" Blake yelled. Giles looked at him strangely. "How old is she?" "I don't know, but she was a fourteen year old vampire." "But how long has she been a vampire?" "I don't know?" he yelled again. And at that he punched the punching bag putting his fist clean through it and breaking it in two sending sand everywhere. "I'll pay for that." Blake told Giles. The whole gang came rushing in to see what happened. "You better pay for that," Xander said. Blake just looked at him. "If looks could kill!" Xander said. "Come on, I'll help you clean it up" Dawn said to Blake. While they put all the sand into a bin, Giles took Buffy into his office to break the news. "You serious? My little sister's an ex-vampire?" "I'm afraid so" "God, I got a friend who's dating an ex-demon, two dating witches, A friend vampire who can't hurt humans, and now an ex-vampire little sister. I don't think I should be getting a puppy anytime soon, or it'll be doomed to be a freak in no time. But how can he know, it's not like he did any tests on..her arm." Buffy paused "You don't think?" Giles asked. "I'm gonna kill him" Buffy walked quickly into the back room and walked straight up to Blake. "How dare you do that to my little sister" And at that, she punched him straight in the head, and repeated to do so, with no affect on him of course, but he didn't resist. He had Dawn right next to him yelling at Buffy asking her to stop. Then Blake grabbed both her arms and restrained her. "Blake?" Dawn said. He let her go and stood back slightly. "Buffy, it's alright, it's not like I'm not used to being cut in the arms." She said sarcastically. "Dawn, can I talk to your sister?" Blake asked Dawn "Yah" Dawn walked out to keep the others company. "It was the best way to prove it" "Besides, how can you say it's your little girlfriends blood?" Blake grabbed her by the throat, but he didn't hurt her in the slightest, but Buffy was helpless. "Her name is Allyah" Buffy managed to choke out some words. "Don't you mean, was, Allyah?" He dropped her and walked away to the other side of the room. "Anyway, how can it be her blood, the monks used me to make her" "Oh don't be so vain. The only thing they thought of you about, was that you were going to look after her. How the hell can the transpose your blood from here to there?" "But." "But what?" She paused for a while. And proceeded to tell him about the tower and Glory.  
  
- 20 -  
  
"So, what does everyone think of the new vamp, personally, I don't like him" Xander stated. "I do, I think he's cool" Dawn said. "Well of course you do Dawny, how many boys have fixated around you?" Tara told her. Dawn just looked defeated and continued reading her book. "So what is that anyway Dawnster?" Xander asked her, "Shakespeare" "I never really got him that much" Xander said. "That's cause for you to understand a book it would have to have pictures and speech bubbles on every page." Spike insulted. "Hey! Comics can be very challenging!" Xander argued. "haha, no doubt little boy" Spike said. Xander just gave up and went back to Dawn. "So what's with this guy anyway?" "Oh, well, I know who I am!" "Really? You do, cause I'm drawing a blank" Willow laughed. "It just so happens, I'm a descendant from a fourteen yeah old vampire!" "What?" They all said at the same time. "The monks used her as a body for me, they just did the transforming stuff to make me human and stuff, but they didn't complete the spell, so I'm like this girl all over, with a new set of thoughts, cool huh?" Dawn finished. The others just sat there silent just looking in shock at what Dawn just told them. Xander as usual was the first to break the silence. "So, how does the vampire fit into this?" "His names Blake, and I, well, the girl I used to be, Allyah, sired him!" They all just looked at her motionless. The didn't know what to say, A bit much information for them. But as strange as it may seem, the person whom it concerns the most is the least affected, in fact, she thinks it's 'cool'.  
  
- 21 -  
  
"Slayer, you don't understand do you." Blake told her "What's there to understand?" Buffy asked him. "Open your eyes. The portal needed her blood to open, it needed the Key's power to open, but you acted as an adequate substitute to close it. Come on, if you did have the same blood, wouldn't it have opened if you were to jump into it? Wouldn't you be giving it what it needed? Because you have the wrong blood, it closed." Buffy looked up towards him. "If I let Dawn jump, it would have opened." Buffy said quietly. "You fought Glory many times didn't you?" "Yeah, why?" "I'm sure she would have got your blood on her sooner or later, she was a god, she would have broken your skin more often than not, she would have had a sniff or taste of your blood at least once. She would have known. And she would have used you rather than searching for the key." "I don't believe you, I feel something, I know what I feel, and there's connection between us that's deeper than skin." Buffy said "The monks inserted her into the biggest moments of your life, didn't they, she was apparently there all your life. As your sister. Of course you're going to have a connection with her. Its called family." Buffy looked at him. As much as she tried to deny it, she was beginning to understand him, and accept what he was saying; it made too much sense to deny. "She really isn't my sister." "She is" Blake said. "There's just a little more to her than, I guess, we'll ever know"  
  
Epilogue  
  
Right, now I have finished it, after 12 hours of continuous writing, I ended up writing something a little closer to an episode than I first intended. I initially wanted to write a short plan. This doesn't look like a short plan, but it's by no means detailed enough, by my standards to be a decent serried based on the plot I have come up with. I people like it, I will continue writing it in a series.  
  
  
  
-----Chimera-----  
  
Paradine Rogue 


	2. Mediations

- 1 -  
  
In the midst of all the conversations and deliberations, Blake decided to leave them be and get some time alone. He needed it to think about what's just happened. After all this time, nothing could have prepared him for this moment, and it's finally hitting him. He walks far away, towards the shore, to the boats and cargo ships. As a human child, he'd always liked boats. He liked to watch them float and wonder if a future on one would prosper in his direction. But fate had other ideas for poor Blake. It wasn't going to let him get off so easy. He thought to himself, over and over again, he asked himself the same question. Why has she come back, or why has he come back, or why have they found one another again, and why under these circumstances. Over and over again, he would confuse himself with the recurring thought. What's the higher purpose? If every event of every second plays a valuable part of the intricate tale that is the reality of the universe, then why on earth has he come back and why is she human? In his mind, he thinks things through, as dark and incomprehensible as his mind may be, it is also smart. But this time, he won't make use of it. He can't think straight, he can't see the situation for what it really is. Is it just his reward for his efforts depressing the darkness that would have otherwise overturned good? Is she finally in his life just to show him, that there is still good in this world? This is a conclusion his heart refuses him to finalize with. It would have too many possibilities to backfire. He would never let his heart open up to anything or anyone after all this time living his life. But who's to say things can't change.  
  
- 2 -  
  
"You're not sleeping with him!" "But Buffy, he's so cute" Dawn whined "Dawn, your fifteen for god's sake, you keep begging to be treated like an adult, act like one!" Buffy counter argued "Fine!" Dawn complained as she threw her teddy at Buffy who caught it and left Dawn's room holding, not to let it remain within her sister's grasp. Buffy walked down the hallway towards her room, quickly at first, pleased at her latest victory over the young teenager, but slowed as she studied the teddy bear. She looked at it long and hard. Rustling its soft fur, and looking at it's beady button eyes, it got to her. At the same time she envied her little sister, yet she, as any older sister would, she loathed her sister's innocence. Buffy never got that chance. When Buffy was Dawns age, she had a job doing night shifts accompanied by a watcher. But Dawn, she's just a simple teenager with simple needs and wants. Buffy wanted that more than anything. But she knew it would never be. She looked at the teddy bear and dreamed of another life where she was fighting with her sister about boys, who gets the television remote, and fighting for their mother's love. But here they are, with a mother deceased, fighting over weather Dawn gets to see the gruesome happenings or weather Dawn did or did not get involved in the black arts. We all play the hand we were dealt, but no one more than Buffy hated her hand more. She wanted normality, but the standard normality. Not the normal where the opening conversation words are 'Kill anything last night?' It can't be good for the soul. "Buffy?" Dawn said. Buffy didn't reply, she was too deep in thought. Dawn approached her and laid her hand on Buffy's shoulder. It surprised her so much Dawn jumped back. "I'm sorry" Dawn said hesitantly. "No, sorry, it's alright, I was just thinking" "About what?" Dawn asked "I doesn't matter, just little things" "I'm sorry about that" Dawn apologised again "No, I was jumpy" "Not that, about my bear" "Oh, it's alright, I just forgot that your still a kid" Buffy said "I'm not a k." "I didn't mean, I, you know what I meant" Buffy tried to clarify. "I knew what you meant. But if I can't sleep with my bear, can I at least sleep with you?" "Sure" Buffy accepted. They both walked to Buffy's room and Buffy handed Dawn the bear. "No, you keep him" Dawn smiled. And at that Buffy hugged the little teddy and Dawn hugged Buffy making then trip and fell straight on the floor, Buffy first, instinctively taking the fall and letting Dawn's fall be broken by her. They both squealed at first, but started to laugh. They got up to have Willow and Tara at the bedroom door with curious eyes and ready questions. The second they saw the girls happy faces, they gave a small smile, rolled their eyes, and went back to bed. While in bed, Dawn asked. "Buffy?" But Buffy didn't respond. Dawn gave her a little poke in the side.  
  
"Uh, Dawn?" "Oh, your awake, I want to ask you something" "Yeah, I'm awake thank you very much, what do you want?" "You've known all sorts of vampires. Evil ones, good ones, well there was Angel, and then there's spike, he's evil, but he does good, you can sense these things better than I can." "Is this about Blake?" Buffy asked "What? No, it's about me." "About you? Dawn, your not a vampire! You're not that girlfriend of Blake's. Your Dawn. That vamp, what's her name, is dead." "But I'm still in her body, there might be some of her left" "Dawn, do you think I wouldn't' have noticed?" "I guess not" Buffy knew very well, that she said that to keep Dawn happy, to keep her curiosities to a minimum. The thought in the back of her mind, constantly pushing it's way to the conscious lobe, was the fact of weather the monks did or did not completely remove Allyah's mind. But weather it's the vampire Allyah or the human Allyah that's in Dawn, she will only discover in due time.  
  
- 3 -  
  
"We have a problem" "Blake, your on the hellmouth, of course there will be problems" "Areathea'us, you don't understand, Allyah is here" "Are you sure? It's not someone like her? I heard rumors of her death not too long ago" "I wouldn't be surprised if they were entirely accurate Areathea'us." "For what on earth do you mean?" "What I mean is that she was.wait" Blake stopped, he heard something from outside. He laid the phone down and went to inspect the sounds. So quiet, he crept outside through the back way for a better view of the situation. He could see a silhouette hidden in some bushes near his front door. He approached it confidentially. The shadow jumped to its feet and merely defended itself, no attack, Blake could only sense fear. "Who are you?" Blake asked the shadow. "I I, my names Alice." She stuttered. "What do you want with me?" "I er, I heard the infamous vampire was in town. I had to see myself." "What do you want with me?" "You already said that" "Because you haven't answered it." "Well, I.." "Wait" Blake interrupted." He went inside for a moment to conclude his call and bid farewell. "Now, talk" "Well, I.." "You aren't human?!" "No, I'm the same as you" "Then god help you, how do you think you can compare yourself with me?" "They said you were invincible, they didn't tell me that you were also vain" "Tell me why you're here now!" He said in a stern voice. "I wanted help, I live everyday with a conscience, I live my life, or if you could call it one, and care." "What do you want me to do about it?" "I don't know. I thought you might know" "How on earth should I? If I were the same as you, I wouldn't know more than you. Now how can I help you?" "I could help you?" "I don't need help" "I'm sure you could do with some, sometime, somewhere." She approached him with calm eyes. Normally a being in her situation would be weary and full of fear, yet she didn't feel it. She seemed to look into him. "I can help you, no-one needs to do anything alone. Not even the doomed." At that, Blake went into his house and walked through his doorway not closing it. So, she followed. "Why are you here anyway?" Alice asked. "Business" He said "What business?" "My business" "Fine" Alice concluded. She looked around the room. Little belongings, a few newspapers, a fridge of course, probably with sachets of blood in it, and what she noticed most of all, there were no weapons. None of any kind. For some reason, this didn't surprise her. She didn't really expect a warrior, she didn't expect to find some vampire strewn with weapons and blood, she expected to find a young, vulnerable kid lost in a world that wouldn't except him. The reason for this being the fact that it's exactly how she feels and thinks. She's just hoping to find another like her to share her pain with. "Where are you from?" Blake asked breaking the silence. "I can't remember. I just woke up one day, and I was what I am now. I can't recall life before this, and I couldn't think of how I could be what I am." "And what's that?" "Dead, yet still feeling the emotions of someone alive" "Yeah, well life's a bitch, weather your living it or not" "I know, and you know it as well as I do, don't you. Living a dead life, caring for the people who inevitably outcast you for what you are. Never to see the light of day. Doomed for eternity. Doomed for eternity alone" "And why do you think I, of all people would give you asylum?" "Because you want to, you need me, you need someone like you to be with, someone who knows exactly what your going through" "You know nothing of what I'm going through" "Maybe not specific details, but the general effect, I know how it feels to be like us" Blake didn't argue. He just looked into her eyes, long and hard. He searched her, he started to understand her and agree with her, but most importantly, accept her. She was right, no-one should have to cope alone. Not even them.  
  
- 4 -  
  
Morning broke; sun shining, Blake and Alice confined to their refuge, while the others bask in the light. "Buffy?" Dawn asked. "What Dawn" She labored. "I just wanted to know if you wanted breakfast" "What are you making?" "Dunno yet, I thought I'd decide after I asked you" "Oh. Well, you choose. Breakfast isn't the most important thing on my mind" "Well it should be, you can't be the best slayer you can be without a good breakfast." "Yeah, thanks Dawn, I'll have whatever you want" Buffy said invoking a giggle from Dawn. "Great, I'll try something new then" "Except one of your weird concoctions." Buffy enforced. "Not fair, you said anything I wanted" Dawn moaned "Yeah, anything normal." "Fine, normal pancakes it is, with normal butter and syrup" "Sounds nice" Buffy said as she laid back into her bed. While Buffy was having her last bite of her pancake, Dawn asked; "This is your day off right?" "Day off what?" "Off slaying!?" "Oh yes, cause the powers of darkness always have Sunday off to rest" "Oh come one Buffy, I was hoping we could do something today." "Like what?" Buffy forced out knowing she had something in store for her. "I dunno, what do sisters normally do?" Dawn asked as she sat next to Buffy. "Well, I'll go steal your favorite doll, and you can go complain to M." Buffy paused and gave Dawn a painful look. Dawn returned it and approached Buffy with a hug. "Alright, we'll do something. What did you have in mind" Buffy said trying to get back to the level. "The movies? Shopping? Topped off with a very unhealthy dinner?" "Sounds like a plan" "Great! I'll go get dressed" Dawn said excitedly as she ran straight to her room. Buffy just sat there for a moment. She was still a little upset about her little self-reminder of her mother's absence. On their way to the cinemas Dawn stopped. "What's wrong?" "I don't know" Dawn stated. She looked around a little. Confused, she said to Buffy. "I feel something, I don't know what, but I feel something here" "What exactly?" "I have no idea, It feels strange, Like Dé ja veau, but then again, it's sort'a not. Let's just go" "Sure" Dawn looked around a little more as they left. She studied the area hoping to find something strikingly familiar, but nothing would jog her memory. But she did see one thing, a statue. She stopped, but this time Buffy didn't query her change of course, she just stopped as well and watched her sister. Dawn lost all emotion in her face as she started to walk towards the statue. She got to about three, maybe four meters within its proximity until something struck her. A feeling rushed through her like a steam train, until everything went black.  
  
- 5 -  
  
"..Dawn.." "..Dawn.." Dawn was just lying there, motionless with her head resting in Buffy's lap.  
  
"Dawn" At that her eyes began to flicker and she awoke with a fright and jumped to her feet and backed off quickly. "Dawn, what's wrong?" Buffy promptly said trying to help her sister. "What the hell was that?" Dawn said "What was what?" "What just happened?" Dawn said with fear in her eyes and voice. "You walked up to that statue, stopped, and fell down. Why? What do you think happened?" "Buffy I don't want to go to the movies. I want go home." "Sure, are you alright?" "Physically, maybe, but emotionally, well, don't ask." "You know I'm going to break that soon and ask, Dawn" "Just leave it a while please" "Ok, consider the interrogation averted for the while." "Yeah, thanks" Dawn said as she walked and moved closer to Buffy turning on the occasion to check up on the statue. There was something she couldn't explain about it, but it seemed to scare her, but she didn't fear it. Dawn knew what happened, she didn't understand it and it was because of this, she kept it to herself. "Dawn?" Buffy asked still worried about Dawn's facial blankness. "I'm fine alright" Dawn scolded "Geez, quick to jump, I was going to ask why you were so quiet about it all. I would have thought you were so eager for sister day. I know I was." "Sorry, I just got a shock is all." "What shocked you?" "Oh, nothing, just the blackout" Buffy wasn't convinced. She wanted to know what was going on in that little head, and was prepared to wait as long as it takes.  
  
- 6 -  
  
"Want to get some breakfast?" "No"  
  
"Come on, I'm so hungry and I want company." "I'm sure your sense of insecurity and ungrounded optimism is company enough." "I spose your right, I am optimistic, but I'm willing to wait. I got patience" "Yeah, I'd hope so, you've got eternity to wait." "Blake, please, for what I heard, you were in the business of helping people." "Your not people" "Neither are you" "Not the point" "Blake! It's exactly the point. You're always brooding about your eternity of depression, grow up for god's sake. I'm willing to be a friend. Who have you got in your life who's in my position besides me? As much as you don't want me here, it's gotta be better than being alone. Look at what it's done with the remains of your soul" "I'm hungry" Alice looked down for a moment, conjured a smile and gave it to him. Blake saw and felt better for it, he felt better for his acceptance, and found something he hadn't had before. Alice walked to the door and displayed herself at the door inviting him to leave first. Blake, regardless of who it was, would never turn his back on someone on request. So he stood there with Alice looking disappointed, walked through the door. She wasn't too disappointed, she knew she was asking too much of him that night. He's still a vampire after all. "Alice, there are vampires like us, others, why me?" "I don't know. I just saw you once and felt the strangest feeling towards you. It was an unspoken connection" "Oh really?" Blake splurted sarcastically. "And I couldn't sound more corny and cliqued if I tried. But you know what I mean, I'm sure it's happened to you." "Well yeah, I guess there have been incidents." "Of which I doubt I could ever get out of you" "Bingo" "Well I guess I won't try then." "Clever girl" Alice stopped to have Blake stop with her and look at her with curious eyes. "But I assure you, if I knew, I'd tell you. You know that right?" "What you're here for?!" "Well, yeah, that and what it is that I feel." "I know you will" Blake said with power in his voice that seemed to show her not that he did indeed have power, but that if she want's to be on his good side and be friends, she should keep her word and divulge all that she knows, he'd only find out anyway. "Blake?" These words were only too familiar. The tone, the sound, and the patriotism in the voice. Blake only just turned and looked, no reaction, no emotion, no response what so ever. "So nice to see you again, who's this then, so much for the lone wolf act" It was Buffy and she wasn't too understanding towards the being whom recently intruded into her life and that of her sisters. "I'm Alice. You are?" "I'm none of your business. You're really a piece of work Blake. I thought you were against that kind." Blake just stared through her. He knew of what she was implying, and where she was going with it, and he didn't appreciate it. "Unless you have matters concerning Allyah, I'll be asking you to leave." "It's Dawn, your little girlfriend is dead, ya know? Deceased, no more! And she's not coming back. She's Dawn now." Buffy seemed to be feeling a lack of power since his arrival, she needed to get that out, just to satisfy her ego. Alice instantly stepped in between Buffy and Blake disrupting his view of her. "Back off. I don't care who you are, back the hell off" As much as Blake surely didn't need her help, he liked the fact someone was on his side because they wanted to be. When it was Dawn defending him, she was overwhelmed with emotion about her connection with him. Not like this, Alice's friendship was clear. Free from emotions of the effect. Alice stepped aside while Blake looked into Buffy. "You know, presumptions get you no where. They'll just get you killed cause of a lack of accurate knowledge. Well, I guess I can only hope then. Buffy. The fact that you're protecting her is the only fact that may be keeping you alive right now. I don't like you. I'll ask, sorry, tell you now. Unless your presence is needed, don't give it to me. It's the last thing I need." As he said that Buffy became more on the offence. She approached Blake to have Alice return to her position between them but Buffy wouldn't have it. She gave Alice a hook to the side of the head sending her some distance into a gutter to have her head thump against the concrete leaving a large gash in her scalp. Blake didn't directly do anything in her defense, although his point was made clear when Buffy saw the anger in his every facial feature. So full of anger, in it's every demonic instance. He changed and emitted a low, quiet, deep throat growl. Alice watched him as he slowly approached Buffy. She knew what he was implying, and she wasn't feeling up for a fight. "Be seeing you," She said while turning and walking away watching Alice all the way. Blake turned to Alice and returned to normal. He watched her for a moment while she got up. Nursing her head, Blake approached at looked at her wound. He left her to enter a nearby shop, which sold kitchen goods. He grabbed a kitchen towel and left. The shopkeeper was too busy watching his comedy programs. He went up to her and soaked up the excess blood with it and after it was all gone, he held it to her wound, but Alice placed her hand over Blake's indicating to him that she wanted to hold it. Blake backed off and she gave him a gratifying smile. There was something strange about her that seemed familiar. It wasn't who she was, it was something different. It might have just been the fact that she was so willing to confide in him, making him feel something he'd been missing in so long. Maybe he has just grasped the opportunity as much as someone in his situation could. Never the less, she's exactly what he needs, a friend. Her smile quickly faded as they started back to Blake's place.  
  
- 7 -  
  
Buffy slowly walked in the back door to have Dawn run up to her giving her an excruciatingly tight hug. "Who died?" Buffy asked "No one, just glad to have you home" "What happened, what did you break?" "Nothing" Dawn said aloud. Buffy went straight to the fridge, grabbed the milk and drank straight from the carton. "You sure do make up for the lack of father figure influence don't you" Dawn laughed. "You wouldn't guess who I ran into tonight" "Blake?" Dawn said with haste. "Oh, good guess. He's got himself a new girlfriend" "What?" Dawn was eager to find out about this new girl. As much as it wasn't her business, she felt as if it concerned her in someway. Or it could be the curiosity of the teenager. "Oh, a girl called Alice. Vampire" Dawn didn't say anything after that, she just looked away, and went upstairs to her room. Dawn thought to herself why she felt weird about Blake being with another girl. To Dawn, this situation was just Blake wanting to be with his own kind, there's no room in his life for a kid human. At least it's only a presumption of hers and not a fact.  
  
- 8 -  
  
The next day would bring a great change in how all would see, and perceive each other, some forever, some for the moment. But in the end, this will be a day no one will ever forget, mind you, all will try. "Buffy, I was thinking" "Well, your not at school, so I'm not surprised" "Shut up. I was thinking we should try that sister day again. There's a new movie out and I really want to see it with you" "If you want to, I have the day off, sure. Let's go" Buffy said invoking a huge smile from her sister. "Great" Dawn enthusiastically called on her way up the stairs. "Going somewhere?" Willow asked as she walked in through the back door. "Willow! Hi!" "Hey" "How'd you know?" "I heard Dawn from outside and if she's that happy about something, she must be doing something with her big sis." "Well, yeah, we're going to the movies" "Good for you." "You don't want to come do you?" "Oh no, I'm meeting with Tara today, we got a few things we need to do" "Ok." Dawn came parading down the stairs like there was a fire all ready for action. "Ready?" Dawn asked Buffy "Oh, Hey Willow" "We were meant to get ready?" "My rushed preparation wasn't a big enough sign?" "Yes Dawn, I'm ready. Let's go, Bye Willow" "Yeah, bye Willow, ya don't wanna come do you?" "No Dawn, it's alright, I have to meet Tara today anyway." "Oh, ok, have fun." Dawn was so pleased at first, but when they got to the letterbox, she hesitated. Buffy stopped and inquired. "Dawn, are you alright?" "Yeah, I'm fine sorry. It's just that I was thinking about the last time." "We can avoid the statue!?" "Yeah, alright" They pushed on. By the time the movie finished, it was time for lunch, so the girls thought it was more then enough cue to have some unhealthy take away. Post lunch, they topped off the afternoon with some excessive shopping. During this, the others were grouped in the Magic Shop in their usual research mode. "Does anyone know what a rathcahn is?" Xander asked the others. "Where did you find that?" Giles asked him "In this book here. Kinda old lookin'." "Of course it's old looking, most of these are centuries old." Giles said as he picked up the book and proceeded to read the passage concerning the rathcahn. "Xander, I think you've found something of extreme relevance to Dawn" "Damn it" Xander pouted "That's relevance Xander, that's a good thing," Willow corrected "Oh, how so?" Xander asked but Giles didn't' respond; he was too immersed in the book. "It says here, the rathcahn is a demon who was banished to an orb a few millenniums ago. Since then he resided in this orb, trapped" Giles said breaking the silence. "And?" "Well, rathcahn was a very powerful demon, possessing power of the physical and immense spiritual kind. Apparently, this orb places all his power into the orb itself. If someone were to possess this orb, they, if used properly, could control his power. But what does it have to do with all this?" As time went by, information was accumulated and charted. "I think I have it" Giles called making Willow jump, Tara drop her water, and woke Xander making him fall from his chair. "Oh dear, sorry. The only way Rathcahn could have a connection with this is if the monks used the orb as the pivotal ritual piece." "Huh" Xander right on queue questioned Giles "Well we have the key, the pivotal piece, and the subjects. They can't just use the key; they need fuel for it, which may have been the orb. But the only ritual I can find is one where they used two subjects for the ritual to hide the key." Giles explained. "So I'm guessing one of them was Dawn, or Allyah." Tara contributed "Yes, but there was another one. Allyah took the key's power, and the other took Allyah's demonic inhabitance. It would have been a bin for the ritual." "But they would have killed them though, right?" Willow asked "Not sure" Giles said  
  
- 9 -  
  
It was dark by this time and Dawn and Buffy were on their way back. By mistake, they passed through the vicinity of the statue. Dawn saw it and gave a small moan of displeasure. "Buffy." "Yeah, back the way we came" But they were stopped by the presence of Blake and Alice. "Following us were you?" Buffy inquired "If you like" Blake patronized "Your Alice?" Dawn asked "Yeah, hi" She said with an optimistic tone. "Are, are you Allyah?" "Dawn!" Dawn said with subtle anger in her voice. "Sorry, I'm adjusting" But Dawn wasn't too accepting, she didn't' like to see her with Blake for some reason. "You been alright?" Blake asked Dawn "Yeah, fine I guess" She replied to have Buffy grab her arm and drag her away, but Dawn didn't want to leave, she pulled away and went back. "Dawn! Get away from them, we're going home." "What's wrong, what's with the change of tune?" Dawn asked "No change, I just don't like them. I don't want you around them" Dawn refused to comply so Buffy persisted to enforce her ascertain by stepping in Dawns path and pushing her in the direction of home. Blake stood in their way to have Buffy strike him sending him against a wall. "Stay out of this! I don't care who you are, you have no right here" Blake rose to his feet and returned to his position in their way to have Alice join him. Dawn backed away, but Buffy didn't follow, she was concrete in front of the two ready for battle. Buffy struck Alice in the chest with a sidekick sending her some distance opening up her previous wound. Blake jumped to the moment striking Buffy two times in either side of her head until Buffy blocked them and kicked Blake in the torso sending him backwards while Alice took his place fighting Buffy. Alice tried once, twice, but couldn't take her, so all else failed, reverted to her demonic side and punched Buffy clean in the head sending her flying through the air. Alice turned to Blake, but he didn't move. He was frozen. He saw Alice's face, and couldn't speak. He approached her slowly inspecting her demonic features with great detail. Buffy jumped to her feet and tried to attack the pair, but Blake changed and grabbed Buffy by the throat. "That's it! That's the end of it. Leave now!" Blake said with loud power that sent chills down Buffy's spine. Blake looked hard into Alice's face. "I thought you knew" Alice questioned. But Blake wasn't worried about that. "You don't know where you came from?" "No" "Allyah" "What?" "Your Allyah. Your face" "What?" "I don't know, but your demon is Allyah's demonic face" Blake couldn't comprehend what was happening. "How could this be?" While all this took place, Dawn watched in amazement. She wasn't sure what to think. She wasn't in the slightest sure of what was happening in the first place. Buffy took Dawn home while the other two were left to bask in the uncertainty. How was Blake meant to comprehend this, and how was he supposed to accept it. Something like this isn't taken lightly when it comes to acceptance. Especially when it comes to people such as this. Set so much in his ways, living the same for half a lifetime, events of this extent can do awful things to the mind. For the rest of the night, Blake and Alice retired to his hotel room for the remaining hours deliberating their pasts, and their present thoughts trying to bring order and comprehension to the chaos at present. "Are you alright Dawn?" Buffy asked. "I dunno. I guess I'll be fine." Dawn responded as she slowed slightly. Buffy joined her in the deceleration. "He said she was Allyah. How can she be Allyah?" Dawn continued "I don't know, don't worry about it Dawn, it's not our concern for now, let's just get home." Buffy assured "But I want to know, I have to know" "I'm sure it'll all work itself out in time, for now, let's just ease up alright, we'll just go talk to Giles, he'll know what to do" Buffy said again trying to re-assure her sister, also in the process trying to re- assure herself. Buffy needed it just as much, or maybe more than her sister. All things considered, her little sister was in for a long time of excruciating awakenings. And Buffy knew it as clear as day. At that moment, Dawn stopped. Completely still, she looked towards her sister, but not properly focussing on her, she looked past her to a point beyond her position. 'Buffy.." Dawn faintly gasped out as she swayed back and forth slowly, then while Buffy was on her way to catch her, she fell too fast for her sister to help. She hit the ground with a thump knocking her head leaving a small wound. Small enough not to need stitches, but big enough to allow blood to flow freely. "Dawn!" Buffy screamed as she clasped her sister will loving arms for what seemed forever. She lay there limp and lifeless. Breathing with a pulse, but unconscious she remained for some time until suddenly she arose with a large gasp of air and wide frightened eyes. She let out a cry and tears started to pass over her cheeks, slowly at first, but soon a stream of tears joined them when she tried to explain to her older sister of her. "Dawn, what happened and don't just say you blacked out" "I saw things" "What things?" "Awful things" "More information please" "I don't know, I think they were memories. First I thought they were nightmares but they are too vivid." "Memories of what?" "Allyah" Buffy looked into Dawns fear riddled eyes, not wanting to dive further into her mind; she had to know what she was going through. "What did you see?" "I saw fire, little robe people." "Monks?" Buffy corrected "Yeah, them. I think it was the ritual. I remember what Allyah felt. What she thought. She was there to stop them. Alice was there too. She was trying to kill her. She was going to kill the monks too." Dawn started to cry harder until Buffy intervened. "Don't worry, we'll talk about this later. But Dawn, you said you thought they were like dreams at first. How long have these been going on?" "At the stature, just before and once at home when you weren't there." "I think we need to see the other's about this." "Wait, I don't want them to hear about this." Dawn cried "Dawn, they have to know if we are to find out what's going on so we can end this. It can't be kept secretive. It's too late for that" Dawn accepted her sisters plead and they set off for the Magic Shop. "Buffy, I don't want to go, I just want to go home tonight. I just want to be alone tonight." "But we need you there" "You'll be fine with what you have. I'm going home." "I'll walk you" "Thanks Buffy" They set off for home, and Dawn went straight to her room and instantly to bed. Buffy stayed for a while until she went downstairs and called the others. "Hello?" "Giles, its Buffy" "Oh, where are you?" "I'm at home, I need you and the others to come here and bring some dirt on the monks who performed the ritual that made Dawn, and I want everything you know on the monks themselves, everything! And all you have on Blake. There's this new girl with Blake. Her name's Alice. Something happened, and Blake called her Allyah when she turned vamp. Blake said something about Allyah's demon. Oh, she's a vampire." "I already got that Buffy" "Bring anything that sounds relevant" "Oh, Buffy, I think we have exactly what your looking for, but can't you come here, this is rather inconvenient" "Dawn's not leaving the house, and neither am I" "Alright, see you soon" Buffy hung up and resided to the lounge room couch until the other's arrived.  
  
- 10 -  
  
They got there, set up shop all while Blake and Alice tried to get to the bottom of their dilemma. As much as they tried, they couldn't figure out what was happening. All discussions were interrupted by a knock at the door. Blake walked slowly to the door, completely distracted with the current situation, opened the door to find Dawn standing there. "Sure this is the best place to be?" Blake asked "I think so" Dawn said with confidence in her voice. "Alice" Dawn greeted "Dawn" Alice returned. "What do you want?" Blake asked with a tone consisting of anger and unsteady emotions. "What? What's wrong with me being here, it's Buffy that doesn't like you, not me." "You're her sister" Alice added but to have Dawn look upon her gravely which was very unsteadying for Alice. Dawn approached her without an ounce of fear or uncertainty. "You don't remember me?" Dawn questioned not expecting the response she had "No, well yeah" "How?" Dawn asked "You were Allyah until the monks got to you." "Remember the monks?" Dawn perused "How would I remember them?" "Gee, quite easily. From when you were there." "Where?" "You were there when they performed the ritual. Stop playing us!" Dawn screamed "Playing who? What the hell are you talking about?" Alice defended approaching Dawn. But Blake was there to step in between them. "Dawn what are you talking about?" Blake said trying to bring reason to it all. "What, you can't tell me you've fallen for her act?" "What act?" Alice screamed "Alice, settle down, Dawn, explain from the beginning" "Well." Dawn's glares phased from Blake to Alice. "Alice was there when I was made and tried to kill me." 'Hmmph' Alice let out a grunt. "I honestly don't know where you got that from. I'm serious. Please, I know who you are and the last thing I want is for you to think like that about me. I'm here as a friend of Blake. Not to become anyone's enemy." "Where did you get this from Dawn?" Blake asked "Just so happens, Allyah's not gone after all" Dawn explained. Blake just looked at her, gave her a hard look which drew the information from her. "Allyah's always been in me, but recently, she's been finding her way out." And then Dawn looked into Alice's eyes, cold and hard, and said. "I see you". This invoked fear in Alice. For Dawn to say something like that to her scared her. To Alice, all this was new. She only knew what she's had recently been told. But Dawn wasn't going to be easily convinced of Alice's loss of memory. Although that's hardly a valid reason for the lack of justice. "Blake, can I please talk to Dawn privately for a moment?" Blake looked questionably at Alice for a moment. "Please?" Alice pleaded. Blake looked to Dawn to have her nod to him. So he left for a moment, but he didn't go far. "So how do you see me?" Alice asked her. "You tried to kill me." "I did?" "And the monks" Dawn said which induced a strange look from Alice, which turned slowly into a small smile. "I did!" "You can't keep playing him. He's stronger than you, his mind is stronger than you." Dawn said "But you see little girl. I never tried to kill you. It's not your death that I wanted; it was your demon. Blake will be the most powerful demon this world this world will ever see, and it's your demon which can control him. I have it, I am it. I will control him. I win. And I do hope now that I'm talking to Allyah, not Dawn." "I hope you are, cause then when I kill you, it will be Allyah, not Dawn." Dawn said as her eyes turned to anger and hate. She was starting to remember more of her past. Her association with Alice and who she was. They were simple rivals. Both on their missions to help their side. Allyah to create Blake to turn the side of good and Alice to control the ultimate paradox to satisfy her power lust. Although Allyah had no idea her creation of Blake was the start of the paradox that was prophesized, all she knew that she was told that her life consisted of living a life dead, and being the tool that helped the side of good. She just didn't know how. Alice on the other hand, made her own prophecies. She was to be the controller of this world. She was to become the power revered and feared in this world. Or that's what she said. Once she knew of Blake, she did everything in her power to become a part of his life to make him a part of hers. She just knew a little too much. Hence she killed the sacrifice and replaced herself with it. This way she would possess the one thing in this world that could ever come close to Blake. But from then, it was up to her to find him. All this was always in Dawn, but it resided deep in her mind. Deep down and it was a moment like this that triggered it. "So..Dawn. When were you intending on killing me?" Alice got up from her seat and approached her, but Dawn jumped up and hit her in the side of the head with a lamp and ran out the front door. Blake came out from the other room and ran straight out the door and called after Dawn. But she was quick enough to escape his sights. "What the hell happened?" Blake questioned Alice tried to look sweet and innocent and replied "I don't know. She jumped to these strange conclusions and hit me in the head with the freaken lamp. Did that open up that cut again?" "No, it's alright" Blake looked hard into Alice's eyes, but his glares weren't returned, she was busy trying to look innocent. He didn't have the heart to condemn her at the moment, but he was more than prepared for the worst.  
  
- 11 -  
  
Dawn ran straight home expecting to find an empty house, she thought Buffy would be at the Magic shop with the others. But she ran through the front door, running to Xander, and seeing the group in the lounge room huddled around a pile of books and papers. With tears streaming down her face Buffy jumps to her feet and rushes over to Dawn. "What the hell do you think your doing leaving the house like that?" "Buffy" Dawn whimpered. "You could have been hurt or something" "Buffy" Dawn whimpered again with a slight increase in volume "I can't believe you are so irr." Buffy was interrupted. "Buffy!" Dawn cried. The others got up and fully focussed their attention on Dawn. "Blake's in trouble" Dawn told her. "How?" Buffy asked "Alice want's to control Blake. She did something to me.." "Yeah, we know who she is. There were two people in the ritual to make you. Alice and you. Alice got Allyah's demon." Buffy explained "No! Alice killed the other sacrifice so she could take its place to get my demon. So she can control Blake with it." "Allyah's demon!" Buffy scolded. "Buffy get over it!" Dawn said "and I think she want's to kill me. Then she won't have anything to hold her back" "Are you sure about this Dawn" Giles asked "Yeah" she responded. "Saddle up!" Buffy called to the others. "Dawn stay here. Tara, can you stay with her?" "Sure" Tara agreed "No, I'm not staying here" Dawn argued "Like hell you aren't! You're not going anywhere and that's final Dawn!" Buffy looked her hard in the eyes, she wasn't going to take anything that night, she had someone who wants to kill her sister, and history show's that Buffy isn't the easiest person to talk to during these times. They all got weapons and set off for Blake's hotel. Dawn slumped onto the couch to have Tara sit down next to her and held her close comforting her. They were beginning to settle down until Buffy stormed back through the door. "Where is his place?" Buffy asked Dawn. "Near the statue" Dawn answered. And Buffy left once more. "She might hurt Blake." Dawn said with fear. "Don't worry Dawny, Buffy knows what's best, He'll be fine" Tara reassured Dawn. They sat there silent and still awaiting their return. Alice and Blake were sitting calmly in their room until a crossbow arrow flew through the window taking out the television. Blake jumped into position and Alice fled into a retreat behind the armchair. Buffy kicked the door in and jumped into the hotel room brandishing a large sword. "Where is she?" Buffy ordered "Get the hell out of here" Blake commanded. Buffy spotted Alice crouched behind the chair and made for her but to no avail. Blake struck her dead on with a roundhouse to the upper torso sending her through the window. The others all made way into the house to lend some assistance, but if he were to send the slayer away with such ease, the scoobies wouldn't be too far behind. Alice Ran straight the front door but ran into Xander. He held her until she hit him with the back of her head giving him a blood nose. Then Giles was behind him who struck her with a baseball bat knocking her into the side of the house. He approached her for another until Blake approached him. Giles tried to attack Blake, he swung the bat at him but Blake simple punched the bat and broke it in two. It was all chaos. Everyone mixed up in blood and messy fighting all the while Alice backed away unnoticed. But she stopped in her tracks when something caught her eye. Someone was watching her. It was Dawn, standing in the shadows. She stepped out of her dark hole into the light where she was joined by Alice. "So innocent. So damned oblivious" Alice patronized Dawn. "No, I'm completely aware. I understand your little games. It's the end." Dawn watched Alice walk towards her and circle her. Dawn pulled out a drink bottle and started to drink from it. "I hope you enjoy that, it'll be your last" "Yours too" Dawn returned to get a strange and startled look from Alice, until Dawn splashed the water over Alice invoking screams of pain. Holy water. Everyone heard the screams and made towards them. The two were found standing aside each other ready to pounce upon the first chance. "Careful about what your about to do" Blake called. "Yeah, I'd be careful," Alice added. "I'm talking to both of you" Blake corrected All focus was on the two girls. But that changed when Buffy struck Blake with all her strength sending him a great distance back through the window into the hotel room. At that Alice changed and made for Buffy and all the others went to Buffy's defense. Alice Dodged Buffy's offensive and struck her with several hooks to the head and kicked her into Willow and Xander. Giles tried to make up for it but was fast sent to the others in a similar fashion. Blake jumped back out through the window but felt relieved to see Alice safe. But that all changed when Alice's face turned to pain and fear and soon, to dust revealing Dawn behind her holding a stake. Blake's entire being changed from anger to something beyond that. A cataclysmic hate that drives him in every day was released in its entirety at that one moment. Buffy saw this in his eyes and saw that these eyes were looking at Dawn. Buffy and the others all went for Blake while Dawn tried to retreat behind them. They all had weapons. Buffy had a large dagger, Xander had the remains of the baseball bat, Giles had another large dagger, and willow was using the other end of the broken bat. Blake struck Xander's weapon sending that flying, then hit him Xander himself in the back. Defeated Willow in a similar fashion, then Giles and Buffy came at him with their all. But Blake took it as it came. Giles lunged towards Blake but he swiped the dagger from his hands sending it soaring through the air until it ended up in a wall centimeters from Dawn's head. Dawn saw it and stopped in her tracks. Buffy, enraged, went at him once more but Blake kicked the dagger from her hand sending it flying to the other side of Dawn's head. From there, Blake kicked Buffy in the upper body where she fell backwards into her friends while Blake approached Dawn. "I do know one thing now." Blake said to her. He looked into her eyes in a way that filled her with a painful fear. She had no idea what he would do. She couldn't imagine the awful thoughts streaming through his mind at that time. "Allyah's dead. I know that for sure now" he finalized as he swept away while the others ran to Dawn. Buffy stopped when she reached her distressed sister to have her collapse in her arms. "He tried to kill you" Buffy told her sister. "No he didn't, to him, I'm already dead"  
  
Buffy Chimera  
  
Paradine Rogue 


End file.
